Pipe bender

ABSTRACT

A pipe bending device composed of an elongated frame having an upper platform and longitudinally extending tracks on the platform supporting a pipe carrier for longitudinal movement along the track. At one end of the platform is a pipe bending assembly composed of an upright structure having longitudinally spaced pulleys that underlie a pipe to be bent and a vertical cylinder having a lower shoe that engages the upper side of the pipe and bends it in conjunction with the two pulleys. The frame supporting the pipe bender on the main longitudinal frame is pivotally connected thereto to swing about a transverse horizontal axis.

United States Patent 11 1 Sharar 1 Sept. 25, 1973 [73] Assignee: Baer Electric Company, Inc., Moline, Ill.

[22] Filed: Mar. 24, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 127,658

[52] US. Cl. 72/389 [51] Int. Cl B2ld 7/04 [58] Field of Search 72/11, 150, 149, 72/389 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,396,565 8/1968 Miller 72/389 X 2,998,838 9/1961 Byrd, Jr. 72/389 X 2,312,121 2/1943 Parker et al.. 72/156 3,075,568 1/1963 Bright 72/11 2,867,261 1/1959 Traupmann... 72/389 X 3,336,776 8/1967 Zerlaut 72/14 9/1969 Gardner ..72/388 4/1958 Blagden ..72/389 Primary ExaminerCharles W. Lanham Assistant ExaminerGene P. Crosby A!t0rneyWilliam A. Murray 5 7 ABSTRACT that underlie a pipe to be bent and a vertical cylinder I having a lower shoe that engages the upper side of the pipe and bends it in conjunction with the two pulleys. The frame supporting the pipe bender on the main longitudinal frame is pivotally connected thereto to swing about a transverse horizontal axis.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP25|973 summrz INVENTOR. DONALD R. SHARAR PATENTED SEPZS I975 SHEHZIIFZ v QE s on 2 2 mm 8 t 2. mm mm t. 8. mm ov .8 mm R hm mm INVENTOR. DONALD R. SHARAR PIPE BENDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a pipe bender that may be DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The pipe bending device is composed of an elongated used primarily for the handling and bending of large 5 main frame including support legs 11, 12 at one end pipes. conventionally, a pipe bender is composed of a separate unit that may be moved to the area in which pipes are to be bent and the pipes are placed in the bender at approximately the location on the pipe in which it is desired for the bend to occur. This is done 10 by sight and approximation and often the bend occurs at the wrong location thereby requiring an improper fit of the pipe or requiring a new piece of pipe to be bent. Also, the conventional type of pipe bender is not readily adapted for pipes in which compound bends are required because of inaccuracies in the measurements or location of the bend.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the above in mind, it is the primary purpose of the present invention to provide a pipe bender supported on an elongated main frame. The bending device itself is supported at one end of the frame and the frame carries a pipe carrier on an upper platform portion of the frame. Specifically, the carrier is supported on longitudinally extending tracks which permit the carrier to move toward or away from the bending device. Supported on the carrier is a vice or pipe clamping mechanism which holds the pipe on the carrier. The

carrier permits the pipe to shift, when required, as a able to various size pipes. The pipe bender is composed 3 of a pair of longitudinally spaced pulleys underlying the pipe and an upper centrally located shoe that is hydraulically operated and contacts the upper surface of the pipe. Due to different sizes of the pipe, the pulleys may have different sizes and shapes and likewise the shoe,

which is arcuate shaped, will be of different sizes and shapes. Therefore, there is provided in the pipe bending device itself, various adjustments for different sized pipe. Also, provided on the carrier for the pipe is adjustments for vertically positioning the vice so as to accommodate different settings on the pipe bending device and for the purpose of maintaining the unbent portion of the pipe level.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frame that may be easily disassembled and assembled and to provide means supporting the carrier and the pipe bending device itself which may be easily detached sovthat the latter may be removed. Thus, the

entire assembly may be easily moved to and from vari- 5 ous jobs as the requirements arise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 4 is an end view of the structure shown in FIG. 6

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 5 -5 of FIG. 1.

and legs 13, 14 at the opposite end. The legs 1114 are flared outwardly at their lower ends and the lower ends are threaded to receive adjustable floor pads 15 thereon, the latter being for the purpose of leveling the main frame on an uneven floor or ground. The frame 10 includes an upper horizontal platform 16 composed of a pair of elongated parallel channels 17, 18 that run lengthwiseof the structure, the channels 17, 18 being interconnected by braces 19, 20. Depending and rigidly fixed on one end of the channels 17, 18 is a pair of downwardly opening short pipe sections or fittings 21, 22 that receive the upper ends of the respective legs 1 l, 12. At the opposite ends of the channel members 17, 18 are a pair of short depending pipe members or fittings 23, 24 that receive the upper ends of the respective legs 13, 14. Horizontal tapped openings are provided in each of the short pipe sections 21-24 to receive a horizontal pin 25 that locks the respective legs on the platform 16. Leg braces, such as at 26, extend between and are detachably fixed to the respective legs 11-14 and the undersides of the channels 17, 18 by detachable pins 17. The legs 1 l, 12 are cross-braced by braces 28, the latter being fixed to the respective legs by detachablepins 29. The legs 13, 14 are rigidly joined by a brace 30 fixed to the respective legs by detachable pins 31. It becomes obvious, therefore, that the entire upper platform 16 may be detachably supported on the legs 11-14 and the entire supporting structure may be dismantled and rebuilt as the occasion arises.

Welded or otherwise fixed to the upper horizontal flange portions of the respective channels 17, 18 are upwardly opening C-shaped channels 35, 36 that have upper longitudinally extending slots 37, 38 respectively. The channels 35, 36 serve as longitudinally or lengthwise extending guides or tracks on opposite sides of the platform 16.

A pipe support or carrier 40 is provided for free longitudinal movement in the respective channels 35, 36. The carrier is composed of a pair of longitudinally extending rod sections 41, 42 that fit inwardly on the respective C-shaped channels 35, 36. Extending through the slots 37, 38 and welded to the respective rods 41, 42 are vertically extending threaded rods 43, 44 and 45, 46 respectively. Short angle-iron braces 39 fit under opposite edges of a plate 47 and serve to rigidify the plate. The rods 43-46 extend through the horizontal flanges of the angle-iron 39 and theplate 47 and adjusting nuts, such as at 48, 49, are carried on the threaded rods or studs 43 above and below the plate 47. Thus, the plate 47 may be adjusted vertically on the rods 43, 46. The lower horizontal rods or pipes 41, 42 are free to move lengthwise or longitudinally within the channels 35, 36 and grease or other lubricant may be used in order to provide relatively free and nonfrictional movement of the pipes 41, 42. Supported on the plate 47 is a pipe vice 50 of standard construction which will prevent pipe from moving relative to the plate 47 both lengthwise and angularly.

The channels 17, 18 are downwardly opening U- shaped channels. A pair of upright supporting plate structures 51, 52 is bolted at 53, 54 to the respective inner vertical flanges of the respective channels 17, 18.

The upper ends of the plates 51, 52 are rigidly crossbraced at 55 and the entire structure serves as a rigid support structure for the pipe bending mechanism herein to be described.

The plates 51, 52 are L-shaped with a longitudinal extension having transversely aligned openings for receiving a transverse support or pivot pin 56. Pivotally carried on the pivot pin 56 is a main pipe bending support structure 60 composed of a pair of vertically extending T-shaped plates 58 rigidly braced at their upper ends by a transverse frame member 59. Each plate has provided in each end thereof transversely aligned openings, there being three, at 65, at one end, and three, at 66, at the opposite end. The openings 65, 66 are disposed at an incline relative to one another. The pin 56 fits in one set of openings 65, and a second pin 67 is provided in the lower of the openings 66. Supported on the respective pins 56, 67 are a pair of pipe pulleys 68, 69. The pulleys 68, 69 are free to rotate on the respective pins 56, 67. A hydraulic cylinder 70 is fixed to the frame member 59 and has a depending rod end fixed to a shoe 71. The shoe is convex-shaped in the lengthwise or longitudinal dimension and is concave in a transverse direction. The cylinder 70 is provided with a pair of hydraulic hoses 72, 73 extending to a manual control valve 74. The valve 74 is connected by hoses 75, 76 to a hydraulic pump and reservoir respectively, not shown.

A pair of platform extensions in the form of rods 77, 78 are inserted in the ends of the respective C-shaped channels 35, 36 and a cross-brace or rod 79 interconnects the extensions at their ends. The entire pipe bending device may rest on the brace or rod 79.

in bending, a pipe 80 is first laid on the pulleys 68, 69 and through the vice 50 where it is fixed against rotational as well as longitudinal movement on the carrier 40, although it is clear that the entire carrier 40 may be free to move lengthwise of the platform. Referring to FIG. 1, the entire pipe 80 is in the horizontal and pressure is applied downwardly by the shoe 71 through the action of the cylinder 70. As the downward pressure 71 is exerted, and since the pulley 69 is free to move vertically, it not being held down by any means, the pipe and the pulley 69 will move upwardly forcing the entire support 57 and cylinder 70 to swing in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 56 until it reaches a position as shown in FIG. 2. However, the pipe will be wedged or clamped between the shoe 71 and the pulleys 68, 69 which in turn will force movement of the carrier 40 along the tracks. Thus, the vice 50 and its carrier 40 will not hold or resist movement of the pipe longitudinally but will prevent it from twisting or turning about its axis once the shoe 71 is released. For a multiple bend, therefore, the pipe carrier is moved along the tracks until a different section of the pipe is in the pipe bending device.

For different sized pipe, different sized pulleys 68, 69 and shoes 71 may be used and for smaller pipes, smaller pulleys will be used and the pulleys will be carried in the upper openings 65, 66. Likewise, in order to maintain the pipe horizontal when the upper openings 65, 66 and their respective pulleys are used, the plate 47 and its pipe vice may be adjusted vertically on the threaded studs 43-46.

I claim:

1. A pipe bending device comprising: an elongated main frame having an upper platform portion and supporting structure for said platform portion at least part of which is adjustable for purposes of leveling the platform portion; track means extending along the platform portion from one end toward the opposite end; a pipe support adjacent one end of the track means; a pipe locking device mounted on the support for preventing rocking of said pipe and lengthwise shifting thereof; a pipe bending device at said opposite end including a pair of upright plates spaced transversely apart and extending from one end adjacent the support to an opposite end away from the support; means at said one end mounting the plates on the main frame for vertical movement on a transverse horizontal axis extending between the plates; a pair of transverse rollers supported between and at the respective ends of the plates with upwardly facing sides adapted to fit against the underside of a pipe, with the roller at said one end being carried on said axis whereby a pipe section carried on the latter roller will be retained at substantially the same vertical position relative to the frame regardless of the position of the plates; means mounting the support on the track means for free movement along the track means and for vertical adjustment relative to the frame so as to provide leveling of a pipe section carried on and between the roller on said axis and said support; and a vertical structure supported between and on the vertical plates between the rollers and having a downwardly facing arcuate surface engageable with the top side of a pipe and having power means operatively connected thereto to vertically reciprocate said arcuate structure.

2.,The pipe bending device as set forth in claim 1 in which the rollers on the plates may be adjusted vertically thereon and further characterized by the adjusting means on the frame for vertically adjusting the pipe support for maintaining a pipe section carried by said support and said roller substantially horizontal is sufficient so as to accommodate the vertical repositioning of the rollers so as to maintain the section horizontal.

3. The pipe bending device as set forth in claim 1 in which the vertical structure may be altered to have arcuate surfaces of different radii, said rollers may be changed to different radii, and further characterized by the adjusting means between the frame and pipe support being sufficiently adjustable to accommodate the altered vertical structure so as to maintain a pipe section horizontal.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said frame and the support structure includes supporting legs for said platform portion that are detachable therefrom and said legs are individually adjustable vertically for purposes of leveling the platform. 

1. A pipe bending device comprising: an elongated main frame having an upper platform portion and supporting structure for said platform portion at least part of which is adjustable for purposes of leveling the platform portion; track means extending along the platform portion from one end toward the opposite end; a pipe support adjacent one end of the track means; a pipe locking device mounted on the support for preventing rocking of said pipe and lengthwise shifting thereof; a pipe bending device at said opposite end including a pair of upright plates spaced transversely apart and extending from one end adjacent the support to an opposite end away from the support; means at said one end mounting the plates on the main frame for vertical movement on a transVerse horizontal axis extending between the plates; a pair of transverse rollers supported between and at the respective ends of the plates with upwardly facing sides adapted to fit against the underside of a pipe, with the roller at said one end being carried on said axis whereby a pipe section carried on the latter roller will be retained at substantially the same vertical position relative to the frame regardless of the position of the plates; means mounting the support on the track means for free movement along the track means and for vertical adjustment relative to the frame so as to provide leveling of a pipe section carried on and between the roller on said axis and said support; and a vertical structure supported between and on the vertical plates between the rollers and having a downwardly facing arcuate surface engageable with the top side of a pipe and having power means operatively connected thereto to vertically reciprocate said arcuate structure.
 2. The pipe bending device as set forth in claim 1 in which the rollers on the plates may be adjusted vertically thereon and further characterized by the adjusting means on the frame for vertically adjusting the pipe support for maintaining a pipe section carried by said support and said roller substantially horizontal is sufficient so as to accommodate the vertical repositioning of the rollers so as to maintain the section horizontal.
 3. The pipe bending device as set forth in claim 1 in which the vertical structure may be altered to have arcuate surfaces of different radii, said rollers may be changed to different radii, and further characterized by the adjusting means between the frame and pipe support being sufficiently adjustable to accommodate the altered vertical structure so as to maintain a pipe section horizontal.
 4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said frame and the support structure includes supporting legs for said platform portion that are detachable therefrom and said legs are individually adjustable vertically for purposes of leveling the platform. 